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Just because something is new doesn’t automatically make it better, easier to use, and more consumer-friendly than older technology. Progress for the sake of progress doesn’t always prioritize the customer’s wants and needs. And if we’re being really honest, there are lots of issues we have with modern tech and corporate attitudes that we’d love to change if we had a magic wand.
The ironic reality is that not all modern conveniences are all that convenient. The members of the AskReddit community recently took to an interesting thread to vent all about how certain tech changes have made their lives that much harder. Scroll down for some very relatable opinions.
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#1
Just let me use the website! I hate having to download a damn app for everything.
Rick Murray 1 day ago
Especially when the app is just a wrapper for the website with added tracking.
RELATED:
#2
Scanning QR code to access the menu and order the food.
#3
Car park apps. Just f*****g let me pay without downloading an app, creating an account, trying to figure out what code this car park you wankers and no I'm not going to let you use my location.
Firstname Lastname 1 day ago
What happens to the folks that don't have smart phones? Can they just not park there?
To be fair, just like newer technology isn’t automatically better than older tech, older technology isn’t immediately better because it’s vintage either. You have to evaluate each bit of tech and software on its own merits, as well as in relation to what the competitors offer. Meanwhile, a product, service, or company’s age isn’t much relevant, unless you want to establish whether or not it’s reputable and trustworthy.
The ‘latest, freshest, newest thing’ in software may not be the service that you or your company need (even if it feels cool to be on the cutting edge of something). Meanwhile, a slightly older bit of software that has been tried and tested by many professionals may get you better results. Similarly, the latest smartphone or home appliance model might be awesome to have (and to subtly boast about at dinner parties), but it might not be the best fit for you.
#4
I! Want! Buttons! In! Cars! F**k touchscreen everything in cars, I don't want to look for 10 seconds not looking at the road finding the volume button for the rafio.
Bacon Tentacles 1 day ago
Especially given how sensitive they are. No, I don't want to switch screens, I want to pause the music so I can find my street, but you interpreted my tap as a swipe, because reasons. F**k touchscreens.
#5
Why do I need an account to use your website? It’s just one time service.
Also, I called customer service because your website is not user friendly and does not have the services I am calling about. Stop asking me to hang up and go to the website.
Huddo's sister 1 day ago
OMG Centrelink in Australia does that every time you are on hold. I used to go in to sort things out so I wasn't wasting my whole day on hold, but then the workers started getting agro because 'it can be done online/phone'.
#6
2 factor authentication for EVERYTHING. You are a free recipe website. You made me set up a password. Let me use it. No, I don't need a second form of id to use this site. You have exactly 0 of my vital information. No money. No numbers. And everything you have that someone might want is freely given on my public profile.
Email, banking apps? Sure 2 factor me there. But Allrecipes and YouTube? Why?
Bored Sailor 1 day ago
I hate the two factor as I am not allowed to bring my cellphone in the building I work in. Login, run out to car, get the code run back to desk. Google stopped calling landlines, only cellphone text or app acknowledge yes it is me.
The reality is that new tech and software are a bit of a double-edged sword. Sure, they potentially offer new features and capabilities, but there’s always the chance that they’re more gimmicks than actually useful for customers.
On the other hand, newer tech and software can mean that you and your company are better protected because they’re constantly updated. What’s more, from a business perspective, it makes sense to invest in cutting-edge tech from time to time.
#7
Subscription based payments.
#8
Everything being “smart”.
Things have become so smart that’s it’s gone full circle and are now just dumb and unusable.
Geoffrey Scott 1 day ago
I have no desire to know what the temp on my fridge in Michigan is if I'm in Miami. If your products are THAT unreliable, I ain't buying.
#9
Touch screen devices everywhere. Many people with tremor disorders (like me, with 2) can barely use them or can't use them at all. (Estimated 10 million people in the US with just Essential Tremor alone!).
Forbes warns that outdated tech and ‘legacy’ systems can reduce a company’s competitiveness. For example, older tech and software may be limited in terms of automation, can have worse response times, and may be more vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches.
Similarly, older tech may impact productivity. (Though, to be fair, constantly changing tech and software would mean constantly having to ask your employees to (re)train, which is also time-intensive.) Forbes also notes that using old systems may sometimes be done out of habit rather than because the tech is better. Often, people don’t like to change things when they already have something that works.
#10
Social media.
The (dis)information and entertainment overabundance is dangerously addictive and rots our brain.
It has immense potential for good, but, as always, some bad actors in a good thing spoiled the whole thing.
#11
Having to do anything that involved a chat bot or ai.
keyboardtek 1 day ago
I called Lowes home improvement the other day and now they have an AI phone answering device. I called back six times trying to reach the store manager because the AI program does not understand the words "Customer service" or 'Store manager".
#12
When you order a new product (Roomba) and the owners manual is online. And they want you to link it to your phone so you can turn it on from work or whatever. I just want to push a button and make it go. And I like paper manuals.
What are some modern ‘conveniences’ that you personally think are incredibly inconvenient, dear Pandas? What examples of newer tech and software make your life harder rather than easier? What older tech do you still use despite it being labeled ‘ancient’ by others?
On the flip side, what are some great examples of modern innovations that you believe are genuine upgrades over vintage tech? Let us know in the comments below!
#13
Internet-connected appliances. Why the F**K does a car, fridge, or f*****g washing machine need a g*****n software update?
Rick Murray 1 day ago
Worse - why does a lightbulb need a firmware update? It has, literally, ONE job to do.
#14
Idk about made my life harder, but search engines "correcting" your search if they think you misspelled a word is a thorn in my side. The suggestions they give if they think you misspelled something are fine, it's when they start deciding "no, this is what you meant" without you saying so and overriding the search results that it becomes an inconvenience.
As someone who's often looking up non-English (well, non-Modern English) words, it's annoying. Stop being "helpful" and let me search for the thing I'm searching for.
Bacon Tentacles 1 day ago
This is why I hate autocorrect on phones. I meant what I typed, dammit.
#15
AI. No, I don't want whatever your pollution-powered disinformation machine "thinks" the information should be, I want *the actual information*. Get the f**k out of my face and leave me alone, you overhyped autocorrect function.
#16
Doctor's apps and AI customer service representatives. AI in general, really.
Little Bit 20 hours ago
I recently tried to book an online appointment with my doctor. They've changed the system since I last used it and the first thing it asked me for was an account number????? I phoned the surgery later in the day to ask what my account number is and the receptionist didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I offered to come into the surgery with my smartphone to show her what I meant but apparently you're not allowed in unless you have an appointment (give me strength!). Every time I try to phone to get an appointment I get put on hold, sometimes for up to an hour only to be told that all the appointments are taken and I will have to "try again tomorrow or go to A&E"
#17
The whole applying for jobs online situation... i only work in hospitality and low wage jobs. I miss the days of walking round town with my CV printed out, where I could talk to a manager about a vacancy, instead of wasting endless time filling out the same details for jobs and often silly questionnaires when I'll often hear nothing back at all.
#18
Today I had to go to the urgent care.
I was the only one there. They could have just taken my ID and insurance and had a practitioner see me.
But the only way to claim an appointment- even by walk-in - was by scanning a QR to register.
Except that they were on the first floor of a big building, and mobile service wasn't great.
So I went on their Wi-Fi, but their website was down.
So they had to print out paper forms that they had done away with, except their Internet was also down.
So they had me write my information on the back of some receipt paper, and finally saw me.
But they couldn't bill my insurance, because their system was down.
And then they knew they had to send my Rx to a Walgreens, but couldn't, because their system was down.
So they called the closest Walgreens they could find for my RX, but it was actually 30 minutes away, because their system was down.
So I asked for a paper RX order and went to the Walgreens next door, who had to contact the Walgreens 30 minutes away to get the RX transferred because the system was down at the urgent care.
But they couldn't verify the RX being transferred because the system was down at the urgent care.
#19
Website cookies, they're designed to remember bits and pieces to make your life easier, but are used to track your history, create a profile and use it to make accurate personal digital image of yourself, available to the highest buyer or government.
ScarletRos 1 day ago
I do one search for something and then bam ads for it on every other site I visit.
#20
Not being able to physically own a copy of a video game anymore. Even if you have the disc, you still have to download the game. You’re paying for the privilege to play the game, not the actual game itself.
Rick Murray 1 day ago
And you're also at the whim of the service provider as for how long that content will remain available.
#21
Apps... anyone and anything and their dead grandma just has to have an app for every mundane b******t.
#22
Windows automatically saving all of my files to OneDrive. I like to think I'm somewhat tech savvy but I can't for the life of me figure out how to stop it from happening. Recently moved a bunch of MP4-files from a USB to my PC then a short while later my e-mail stopped working because the OneDrive storage was full due to the files I thought I saved locally.
iseefractals 1 day ago
First, during windows setup you're given the option to opt out of OneDrive backups. If for some reason you want OneDrive...you're also prompted to select which folders you'd like backed up automatically, if you don't pay attention to that it will default to the subfolders within the Users/yourname....(desktop, documents, pictures, and in some instances music, downloads, video folders) I'm going to assume, that like many people you copied these files to your desktop...which NO. Bad! The only things that should be present on your desktop are SHORT CUTS, saving actual files bogs down your system, and you should really never save anything you care about to your system drive in the first place. Windows and application installations only, everything else goes onto a secondary drive, so in the event of a virus or botched update you don't lose all your personal files.
#23
Cloud services. I have my own portable drives, not every free version of a cloud service has limited cloud storage, so it fills up and they can compel you to pay. Less tech savvy people just bite the bullet often. But I had iCloud tell me that my solution was to copy it to my pc, and clear it out. Then I go to my phone, and my photos are all gone. I never asked to delete them from my phone!
#25
My tumble dryer has a dozen presets for every kind of clothing (shirts / jeans / sports / silk / etc) but absolutely nothing on the machine or in the manual indicates temperature, which is literaly a universal pictograph written on every item to tell you how to dry it.
Also I just spent a couple hours setting up my new TV. Used to be you plugged it in, turned it on, and it worked. .
#26
Internet. In short, because before the internet I wasn’t daily forced to know exactly how many immensely stupid people are alive in this timeline.
#27
Online shopping replacing brick and mortar shopping. I do a lot of hobbies where the feel of things is really important, I live in a high package theft area, I have ADHD and want to start on things without having to wait 3-7 days for my supplies to arrive, I wish I could just hop on down to whatever store I need, be able to check online if they have it in store (not online!!!) and pick up what I need right then!!!
Lady Eowyn 1 day ago
There are a lot of things I simply will not buy online. I need to see the color as it is on the actual object, for example, not just how it shows up on my monitor. Which often isn't the same thing.
#29
Bluetooth headphones
they took our headphone jacks.
Firstname Lastname 1 day ago
I'm a curmudgeon about switching over to bluetooth. I already charge my personal phone, work phone and laptop. Don't really want to add my headphones to the list. Besides, the more obvious they are, the more likely it is that people will leave me be, in theory.
#30
Applying for jobs online.
Can't just show up and ask for an application anymore, everything is done online now, and most of these companies application websites are some backwoods-a*s s**t with no security certificate, and a UI that looks like it was programmed in Notepad.
#31
This is sorta a tough one for me.
I love my prosthetic legs to some extent but in order to use them properly, and adjust settings, I need my phone & the app. There are definitely some benefits but also would be a huuuuge downside if my phone wasn't available. Also, power outage? Charging it would come down to a generator as well as sometimes software problems. Stuck on an island? I'm screwed.
I still have my very first prosthetic (3R60) which is purely mechanical that I take with me on every single trip in case there are power issues. In a month I'm going to Disney World and taking 3 knees with me: my everyday one, my water knee & that 3R60 Incase anything happens.
Love all the new tech but it could get you into trouble. My old legs were able to be adjusted with a 4mm Allen wrench; even one of them that had a microprocessor, it could still be manually adjusted. Unfortunately no more of that.
Back in 2012, I took my family on a Norwegian Fjord cruise for a week, the following week was with our Norge family. My microprocessor knee died the VERY FIRST DAY of the cruise. Thankfully I had my mechanical knee as backup. Would've been easier with the other knee but thankfully knew how to walk with the first one.
#32
Many teachers like me are pressured to use their school's online Learning Management System (Canvas in my case, or Google Classroom, etc.)...there are a few benefits, but on balance it makes things worse.
#33
Dating apps. They’ve made my life significantly harder in so many more ways and given me so much more anxiety than just bumping into someone randomly at the store etc.
#34
Arguably, cars. We completely redesigned how we build cities in the 60's and 70's because of cars and the change is arguably for the worse unless you're an automobile manufacturer. It's also a huge contributor to global emissions.
#35
Automated bill pay when you have to navigate a labyrinth of pages just to update your f***ing CC# or email.
#36
Mobile phones
everyone you dont like but are obligated to talk to (boss) can contact you any time.
Sven Horlemann 1 day ago
No. My boss does not have any private numbers. And in the evening or on weekend, my company phone is on airplane mode.
#37
Child safety locks. Now me and my niece cant get to the pantry.
Annik Perrot 1 day ago
Child-proof often is adult-proof as well. I'm starting to have arthritis in my hands, and opening à pill bottle is a challenge. The pressure that you have to exert often proves too much for me.
#38
Espresso machine, saving money at home instead of coffee at a store. Sure, but then there's the cleaning and the grinding and the getting the perfect foamy top, and the five cups a day problem. Took me twenty minutes to make a cup of espresso.
What do you think ?
Aussi Panda 1 day ago
I hate that a lot of electrical things you buy (lamps, torches, fans etc) come with a usb cord, then you have to find a spare wall plug.I just want a cord with a normal wall plug!
Kat Alison 1 day ago
Exactly. How is this better than just plugging the item directly into the electrical outlet on the wall?
Little Bit 19 hours ago
1. How difficult it is to pay for anything these days. Fewer and fewer places accept cash these days (although it is still legal tender). When you purchase something online rather than just put your payment details in and press OK, there is a 10 step procedure involving passwords and texts to your phone. 2. The Internet. We have allowed ourselves to be shoehorned into a world that can no longer function without it. What was once awe inspiring technology has become a PITA now that it governs every aspect of our lives. 3. Software updates. You get your settings just how you want them and then there's an automatic update and nothing is the same afterwards.
Green Tree 23 hours ago
I feel like we are ripe for a 'simplified' backlash to technology, stuff like cars without touchscreens etc. Of course companies will probably find a way to market it as the newest must-have and the horrible trash filled cycle of consumerism will march on.
Aussi Panda 1 day ago
I hate that a lot of electrical things you buy (lamps, torches, fans etc) come with a usb cord, then you have to find a spare wall plug.I just want a cord with a normal wall plug!
Kat Alison 1 day ago
Exactly. How is this better than just plugging the item directly into the electrical outlet on the wall?
Little Bit 19 hours ago
1. How difficult it is to pay for anything these days. Fewer and fewer places accept cash these days (although it is still legal tender). When you purchase something online rather than just put your payment details in and press OK, there is a 10 step procedure involving passwords and texts to your phone. 2. The Internet. We have allowed ourselves to be shoehorned into a world that can no longer function without it. What was once awe inspiring technology has become a PITA now that it governs every aspect of our lives. 3. Software updates. You get your settings just how you want them and then there's an automatic update and nothing is the same afterwards.
Green Tree 23 hours ago
I feel like we are ripe for a 'simplified' backlash to technology, stuff like cars without touchscreens etc. Of course companies will probably find a way to market it as the newest must-have and the horrible trash filled cycle of consumerism will march on.
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